Game Recaps
WATCH: RODRIGO PULLS ONE BACK IN 22' AND THE ARVEST ASSIST GOES TO DARÍO SUÁREZ
RECAP presented by Williams: FC Tulsa gets back to winning ways, beating SKCII 4-3 at ONEOK
TULSA – Back on Tulsa time.
Forty-six days away from ONEOK Field made Wednesday night's 4-3 victory over Sporting KC II that much more sweet for FC Tulsa. After more than six weeks on the road, FC Tulsa heard the roar of the home fans four times in the victory, which was just enough to hang on to the three points.
The stars shined bright as Rodrigo da Costa, Marlon Santos, Darío Suárez and Joaquín Rivas all found the back of the net in the first four-goal offensive output in FC Tulsa era.
Looking like a mirror of the matchup two weeks ago between the sides, Kansas City struck early in the first half before FC Tulsa found the net just before halftime. Da Costa score the first in the 42' and almost a second during first half stoppage, but fellow Brazilian Marlon Santos cleaned up the deflection off the SKC II keeper to tap in the go-ahead tally.
The floodgates opened in the second half when Suárez earned and then finished a penalty before Rivas sliced through the Sporting KC II backline to make it 4-1. A rout turned into a squeaker in the final five minutes as late substitute Tyler Freeman scored twice to make it 4-3 before the final whistle.
The three points push FC Tulsa to third place in the Central Division, one point behind Saturday's opponent Louisville City FC.
Here are three takeaways from the victory.
1) DA COSTA THE DIFFERENCE
This is the Rodrigo da Costa we all remember from 2019 – scoring goals, setting others up and being the straw that stirs the FC Tulsa drink.
After a quiet first 40 minutes offensively for the entire FC Tulsa team, Rodrigo da Costa sparked the fire that got FC Tulsa in front at halftime. The Brazilian midfielder bagged the equalizer before doing the heavy lifting on the second tally just before the halftime whistle. He won't get on the scoresheet for the second, but a nearly identical shot to his goal three minutes earlier made it an easy tap-in for Santos. Ultimately, da Costa bagged his assist on Tulsa's final goal of the night after a fancy 1-2 linkup with Joaquín Rivas, giving him three helpers in 2021, tied for second in the USL Championship.
2) RIVAS ENDS LONG DAY ON HIGH NOTE
Less than 24 hours after stepping on the pitch in the second of FC Tulsa's victory on Wednesday, Joaquín Rivas was cheering on his Salvadoran teammates to victory and to the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning with just two hours of sleep, Rivas boarded a plane from El Salvador to Houston and then Houston to Tulsa to get back into town this afternoon.
Not lack of sleep nor international travel could keep Rivas from the scoresheet as he played nearly 40 minutes and secured the match-winning goal off the bench. The goal was Rivas' fifth of the season and 22 of his Tulsa career, the most in club history.
3) THE FRIENDLY CONFINES
Ah, beautiful ONEOK Field. FC Tulsa's home sweet home continues to be a sanctuary as the win extended FC Tulsa's franchise-best home unbeaten streak to seven matches and winning streak to five matches.Both streaks are the longest in franchise history and dates back to the last time Sporting Kansas City II played in Tulsa, August 29, 2020.
That match in 2020 remains the only time FC Tulsa has lost at ONEOK in this new era of the franchise, going 6W-1L-3D in 10 home matches over the two seasons.
UP NEXT
FC Tulsa will be right back at ONEOK Field on Saturday night against the two-time league champions, Louisville City FC at 7 p.m. It'll be the first meeting between the sides since FC Tulsa's inaugural USL Championship season in 2015. Louisville City FC has advanced to every Eastern Conference Final since 2015, won the USL Championship Final in 2017 and 2018 and was the runner-up in 2019.
TULSA – Back on Tulsa time.
Forty-six days away from ONEOK Field made Wednesday night’s 4-3 victory over Sporting KC II that much more sweet for FC Tulsa. After more than six weeks on the road, FC Tulsa heard the roar of the home fans four times in the victory, which was just enough to hang on to the three points.
The stars shined bright as Rodrigo da Costa, Marlon Santos, Darío Suárez and Joaquín Rivas all found the back of the net in the first four-goal offensive output in FC Tulsa era.
Looking like a mirror of the matchup two weeks ago between the sides, Kansas City struck early in the first half before FC Tulsa found the net just before halftime. Da Costa score the first in the 42′ and almost a second during first half stoppage, but fellow Brazilian Marlon Santos cleaned up the deflection off the SKC II keeper to tap in the go-ahead tally.
The floodgates opened in the second half when Suárez earned and then finished a penalty before Rivas sliced through the Sporting KC II backline to make it 4-1. A rout turned into a squeaker in the final five minutes as late substitute Tyler Freeman scored twice to make it 4-3 before the final whistle.
The three points push FC Tulsa to third place in the Central Division, one point behind Saturday’s opponent Louisville City FC.
Here are three takeaways from the victory.
1) DA COSTA THE DIFFERENCE
This is the Rodrigo da Costa we all remember from 2019 – scoring goals, setting others up and being the straw that stirs the FC Tulsa drink.
After a quiet first 40 minutes offensively for the entire FC Tulsa team, Rodrigo da Costa sparked the fire that got FC Tulsa in front at halftime. The Brazilian midfielder bagged the equalizer before doing the heavy lifting on the second tally just before the halftime whistle. He won’t get on the scoresheet for the second, but a nearly identical shot to his goal three minutes earlier made it an easy tap-in for Santos. Ultimately, da Costa bagged his assist on Tulsa’s final goal of the night after a fancy 1-2 linkup with Joaquín Rivas, giving him three helpers in 2021, tied for second in the USL Championship.
2) RIVAS ENDS LONG DAY ON HIGH NOTE
Less than 24 hours after stepping on the pitch in the second of FC Tulsa’s victory on Wednesday, Joaquín Rivas was cheering on his Salvadoran teammates to victory and to the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning with just two hours of sleep, Rivas boarded a plane from El Salvador to Houston and then Houston to Tulsa to get back into town this afternoon.
Not lack of sleep nor international travel could keep Rivas from the scoresheet as he played nearly 40 minutes and secured the match-winning goal off the bench. The goal was Rivas’ fifth of the season and 22 of his Tulsa career, the most in club history.
3) THE FRIENDLY CONFINES
Ah, beautiful ONEOK Field. FC Tulsa’s home sweet home continues to be a sanctuary as the win extended FC Tulsa’s franchise-best home unbeaten streak to seven matches and winning streak to five matches.Both streaks are the longest in franchise history and dates back to the last time Sporting Kansas City II played in Tulsa, August 29, 2020.
That match in 2020 remains the only time FC Tulsa has lost at ONEOK in this new era of the franchise, going 6W-1L-3D in 10 home matches over the two seasons.
UP NEXT
FC Tulsa will be right back at ONEOK Field on Saturday night against the two-time league champions, Louisville City FC at 7 p.m. It’ll be the first meeting between the sides since FC Tulsa’s inaugural USL Championship season in 2015. Louisville City FC has advanced to every Eastern Conference Final since 2015, won the USL Championship Final in 2017 and 2018 and was the runner-up in 2019.
WATCH: JOAQUIN FINISHES IT IN 72' AND THE ARVEST ASSIST GOES TO RODRIGO DA COSTA
WATCH: DARIO HAMMERS HOME THE PK IN 62'
WATCH: MARLON TAPS IT IN AT 45'
WATCH: RODRIGO SLOTS IT IN AT 42' AND THE ARVEST ASSIST GOES TO LUCAS COUTINHO
Match Preview: FC Tulsa vs. Sporting Kansas City II | Presented by Williams
TULSA – Sometimes all you need is a little taste of home.
After a long road trip that ended with three straight losses, FC Tulsa will enjoy home field advantage at ONEOK Field this Wednesday night against Sporting Kansas City II, presented by Williams. With two out of the four meetings this season having been played, FC Tulsa will be counting on taking control of the season series and getting back in the win column.
FC Tulsa opened the 2021 season on May 1 with a 2-0 win over Sporting Kansas City II at ONEOK. A month later, SKC got that result back with a 4-1 win in Kansas City, a match that saw seven players from the MLS squad in the starting lineup.
How to Watch
TV: My41
Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)
Follow: You can follow FC Tulsa @FCTulsa on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SCOUTING SPORTING KANSAS CITY II
Since the second meeting between the two squads, Sporting Kansas City II has only played one match, a 2-2 result against Atlanta United 2. With Sporting Kansas City being a MLS second team and players moving up and down every week, the lineup that will start the match on Wednesday is unpredictable.
The squad’s top scorer is Enoch Meshagalusa with two goals in eight matches, while Ropapa Mensah leads in the assists category, having notched two in eight matches as well. Three different goalkeepers have made at least two appearances for Sporting Kansas City II. John Pulskamp is the only one with a clean sheet to his name, while Kendall McIntosh has played four games with eight goals conceded.
THINGS TO KNOW
1) Hometown heroes
With the mixed bag of results recently, fans may forget that FC Tulsa has been extremely tough to steal points from at ONEOK Field. 291 days. That’s how long it will have been since FC Tulsa last experienced defeat at home when they take the field Wednesday evening. In those 291 days, FC Tulsa played six home matches, with the last four all being victories.
2) Back at home
Having wrapped up the longest road trip of the 2021 season, FC Tulsa fans will gather at ONEOK Wednesday evening for the first time in a month and a half. Wednesday’s match against Sporting Kansas City II is vital for FC Tulsa to get momentum going, and Tulsa fans cheering on the best soccer team in Oklahoma should make for a great atmosphere in downtown Tulsa. FC Tulsa is the only team in the USL Championship with at least six matches played but only one home game.
3) Teams well rested
Both FC Tulsa and Sporting Kansas City II should be healthy and well-rested for the match on Wednesday. The two sides have each just played one match since the sides last met on June 2. FC Tulsa’s sandwiched match was last Sunday on June 6 against Birmingham Legion FC while Sporting Kansas City II played last Wednesday against Atlanta United 2.
How to Watch
Every FC Tulsa match this USL Championship season, home and road, will be broadcast locally throughout Tulsa on My41. Fans can also tune in on ESPN+ in the US, and YouTube international.
As always, follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and download the FC Tulsa App to get all news, highlights and updates throughout the match.
TULSA – Sometimes all you need is a little taste of home.
After a long road trip that ended with three straight losses, FC Tulsa will enjoy home field advantage at ONEOK Field this Wednesday night against Sporting Kansas City II, presented by Williams. With two out of the four meetings this season having been played, FC Tulsa will be counting on taking control of the season series and getting back in the win column.
FC Tulsa opened the 2021 season on May 1 with a 2-0 win over Sporting Kansas City II at ONEOK. A month later, SKC got that result back with a 4-1 win in Kansas City, a match that saw seven players from the MLS squad in the starting lineup.
How to Watch
TV: My41
Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)
Follow: You can follow FC Tulsa @FCTulsa on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SCOUTING SPORTING KANSAS CITY II
Since the second meeting between the two squads, Sporting Kansas City II has only played one match, a 2-2 result against Atlanta United 2. With Sporting Kansas City being a MLS second team and players moving up and down every week, the lineup that will start the match on Wednesday is unpredictable.
The squad’s top scorer is Enoch Meshagalusa with two goals in eight matches, while Ropapa Mensah leads in the assists category, having notched two in eight matches as well. Three different goalkeepers have made at least two appearances for Sporting Kansas City II. John Pulskamp is the only one with a clean sheet to his name, while Kendall McIntosh has played four games with eight goals conceded.
THINGS TO KNOW
1) Hometown heroes
With the mixed bag of results recently, fans may forget that FC Tulsa has been extremely tough to steal points from at ONEOK Field. 291 days. That’s how long it will have been since FC Tulsa last experienced defeat at home when they take the field Wednesday evening. In those 291 days, FC Tulsa played six home matches, with the last four all being victories.
2) Back at home
Having wrapped up the longest road trip of the 2021 season, FC Tulsa fans will gather at ONEOK Wednesday evening for the first time in a month and a half. Wednesday’s match against Sporting Kansas City II is vital for FC Tulsa to get momentum going, and Tulsa fans cheering on the best soccer team in Oklahoma should make for a great atmosphere in downtown Tulsa. FC Tulsa is the only team in the USL Championship with at least six matches played but only one home game.
3) Teams well rested
Both FC Tulsa and Sporting Kansas City II should be healthy and well-rested for the match on Wednesday. The two sides have each just played one match since the sides last met on June 2. FC Tulsa’s sandwiched match was last Sunday on June 6 against Birmingham Legion FC while Sporting Kansas City II played last Wednesday against Atlanta United 2.
How to Watch
Every FC Tulsa match this USL Championship season, home and road, will be broadcast locally throughout Tulsa on My41. Fans can also tune in on ESPN+ in the US, and YouTube international.
As always, follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and download the FC Tulsa App to get all news, highlights and updates throughout the match.
FC Tulsa Announces Co-Branded Beer with Cabin Boys Brewery
TULSA – FC Tulsa is getting drafted.
The club is teaming up with Cabin Boys Brewery in Tulsa to release a “cerveza-style” lager beer, making FC Tulsa the first sports team in the Tulsa area with a co-branded beer by a local brewery.
“Our slogan at Cabin Boys Brewery is 'Crafted for Community,' and one of the ways we uphold that philosophy is through building relationships with local partners,” said Lisa McIlroy, founder and art director of Cabin Boys Brewery. “We are so excited to collaborate and create the official co-branded beer for FC Tulsa, and hope it helps strengthen community, team spirit, and the love of local craft beer in our city.”
Featuring a golden color with a light, refreshing taste, the yet-to-be-named craft beer has notes of tortilla and citrus, while finishing crisp. The brew will sit at 4.4% ABV and should make for an easy drinker at FC Tulsa home matches at ONEOK Field. Fans will be able to purchase the beer at FC Tulsa home matches, starting with this Wednesday’s match against Sporting Kansas City II. The lager will also be available starting on Wednesday at Cabin Boys Brewery in the Pearl District.
“You know you have made it as a sports team when you have a custom beer alongside a great local brewery like Cabin Boys,” said James Cannon. “We can’t wait for our fans to get their first taste on Wednesday night. Let it flow.”
What will the name of the beer be? That’ll be up to the FC Tulsa fans. Through a form on the team’s website, fans can submit their best ideas of names for the lager from now until Sunday, June 20. The best of the name submissions will then be placed into a final voting round that will be exclusive to just FC Tulsa Season Ticket Members.
To submit a name for the FC Tulsa beer, fill out this form. Fans must be 21 or older to enter.
Tickets are still available to Wednesday night's match at ONEOKField. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. CT.
TULSA – FC Tulsa is getting drafted.
The club is teaming up with Cabin Boys Brewery in Tulsa to release a “cerveza-style” lager beer, making FC Tulsa the first sports team in the Tulsa area with a co-branded beer by a local brewery.
“Our slogan at Cabin Boys Brewery is ‘Crafted for Community,’ and one of the ways we uphold that philosophy is through building relationships with local partners,” said Lisa McIlroy, founder and art director of Cabin Boys Brewery. “We are so excited to collaborate and create the official co-branded beer for FC Tulsa, and hope it helps strengthen community, team spirit, and the love of local craft beer in our city.”
Featuring a golden color with a light, refreshing taste, the yet-to-be-named craft beer has notes of tortilla and citrus, while finishing crisp. The brew will sit at 4.4% ABV and should make for an easy drinker at FC Tulsa home matches at ONEOK Field. Fans will be able to purchase the beer at FC Tulsa home matches, starting with this Wednesday’s match against Sporting Kansas City II. The lager will also be available starting on Wednesday at Cabin Boys Brewery in the Pearl District.
“You know you have made it as a sports team when you have a custom beer alongside a great local brewery like Cabin Boys,” said James Cannon. “We can’t wait for our fans to get their first taste on Wednesday night. Let it flow.”
What will the name of the beer be? That’ll be up to the FC Tulsa fans. Through a form on the team’s website, fans can submit their best ideas of names for the lager from now until Sunday, June 20. The best of the name submissions will then be placed into a final voting round that will be exclusive to just FC Tulsa Season Ticket Members.
To submit a name for the FC Tulsa beer, fill out this form. Fans must be 21 or older to enter.
Tickets are still available to Wednesday night’s match at ONEOKField. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. CT.
FC Tulsa at Tulsa Tough this weekend!
TULSA – The city of Tulsa will be abuzz with excitement all weekend long as the U.S. Cycling circuit comes to town for 2021 Tulsa Tough.
FC Tulsa will be there all weekend long selling the brand-new Mural Kit, Greenwood patches, and more merch, along with handing out ticket information and holding a giveaway to enter to win L39ION of Los Angeles swag. Check out the schedule below to see where you can find FC Tulsa this weekend.
Friday – Race: McNellie’s Blue Dome District Crit
FC Tulsa will be at 3rd and Elgin in Tulsa’s Blue Dome District from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday evening for the McNellie’s Blue Dome District Crit! Come by and check out the race, as well as the brand-new Mural Kit!
Saturday – Races: Tulsa Tough ACE Challenge, FC Tulsa Arts District Crit
FC Tulsa will be out at Guthrie Green on N. Boston Ave and Reconciliation Way from 9:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
FC Tulsa Head of Operations & Fan Engagement Wayne Farmer will be racing in the Tulsa Tough ACE Challenge, beginning at 7:30 a.m., as he races to complete 100 miles in under 5 hours!
FC Tulsa will be selling merch and distributing ticket info all day long. For the FC Tulsa Arts District Crit, FC Tulsa defenders Matt Sheldon and Mo Jadama will be handing out the awards to podium finishers of the race.
Sunday – Race: River Parks Crit
FC Tulsa will be on Riverside Dr from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. with merch, ticket info, and more for the River Parks Crit. FC Tulsa players will begin the Townie family ride at 2:25 p.m., riding THIS MACHINE city electric bikes. The ride begins at 15th and Galveston.
Come out all weekend long to support FC Tulsa, L39ION of Los Angeles, and the entire Tulsa Tough event!
TULSA – The city of Tulsa will be abuzz with excitement all weekend long as the U.S. Cycling circuit comes to town for 2021 Tulsa Tough.
FC Tulsa will be there all weekend long selling the brand-new Mural Kit, Greenwood patches, and more merch, along with handing out ticket information and holding a giveaway to enter to win L39ION of Los Angeles swag. Check out the schedule below to see where you can find FC Tulsa this weekend.
Friday – Race: McNellie’s Blue Dome District Crit
FC Tulsa will be at 3rd and Elgin in Tulsa’s Blue Dome District from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday evening for the McNellie’s Blue Dome District Crit! Come by and check out the race, as well as the brand-new Mural Kit!
Saturday – Races: Tulsa Tough ACE Challenge, FC Tulsa Arts District Crit
FC Tulsa will be out at Guthrie Green on N. Boston Ave and Reconciliation Way from 9:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
FC Tulsa Head of Operations & Fan Engagement Wayne Farmer will be racing in the Tulsa Tough ACE Challenge, beginning at 7:30 a.m., as he races to complete 100 miles in under 5 hours!
FC Tulsa will be selling merch and distributing ticket info all day long. For the FC Tulsa Arts District Crit, FC Tulsa defenders Matt Sheldon and Mo Jadama will be handing out the awards to podium finishers of the race.
Sunday – Race: River Parks Crit
FC Tulsa will be on Riverside Dr from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. with merch, ticket info, and more for the River Parks Crit. FC Tulsa players will begin the Townie family ride at 2:25 p.m., riding THIS MACHINE city electric bikes. The ride begins at 15th and Galveston.
Come out all weekend long to support FC Tulsa, L39ION of Los Angeles, and the entire Tulsa Tough event!
